Reality is stranger than fiction
by YELLOW JESUS
Summary: TERRY FIC. Scandal started off with a bang. Season 2 is where the trouble began. Shonda has some tricks up her sleeve and she's about to pull out her biggest trick yet. And with other shows taking over and season 5 beginning, she's willing to do whatever it takes to get scandal back on top. Even at the expense of her two stars. Kerry and Tony. TERRY


**Hi...I'm sure we're all excited. I can't effin wait for S5 of Scandal to start this week. I've officially started my countdown to Scandal routine lol. I started a new story. A TERRY story. I felt kind of weird writing it. I'm not exactly sure why though. This is what I have so far.**

Season 4 of scandal had taken a toll on everybody. The cast and crew were all very close. Like seasons before, cast members would show up on the set to watch their friends work even on their days off. Olivia's kidnapping storyline was tough at times but everyone rallied around Kerry and she was able to pull off a very chilling performance that had people at the edge of their seats. But even with that, Scandal still couldn't win the fans back over completely. The Olitz fans that is. And honestly, it was no longer a priority for the fans to be pleased. It seems like no matter what happened people still complained. Both Kerry and Tony often shared their frustrations with what was going on between their characters with one another but what were they to do? All they could do is do what Shonda Rhimes told them to do. That's their job. Shooting day for season 5 was quickly approaching. Pre-production had been setting up for weeks. Tony couldn't help but be happy with how season 4 ended. He always preferred when Fitz and Olivia were together and was looking forward to all that was to come in season 5. Most of the cast and crew were on set that day. Day 1 of shooting was beginning soon. Tony sat waiting for Kerry in her trailer. He was in a great mood. This particular afternoon he would be having a very special visitor. Kerry was bringing Isabelle and he couldn't wait. It had been awhile since he had seen her. He had various toys and other gifts that he had gotten for her. Her first birthday was a few months ago. He was lost in thoughts of Isabelle when Kerry walked in. She was alone.  
"Hey." Tony stood but his smile faded when he saw Kerry alone. "Where's Izzy?"  
Kerry saw all the presents. Tony looked so excited and Kerry instantly felt badly about not bringing her.  
"Hey Tony." Kerry tried to give him a half smile.  
On the way there Kerry knew that Tony would be disappointed but she just wasn't able to bring her.  
"I wasn't able to bring her."  
Tony was crushed. He had been looking forward to this for weeks "Again Ker?"  
Tony turned away from her and shook his head. He was getting tired of this. This kept happening.  
"I'm sorry." Kerry apologized "Family is in town. They wanted to spend time with her."  
"Family?" Tony questioned with his back still to her "What family is in town? What family wanted to spend time with her?"  
Kerry answered "My mother-in-law."  
"Your mother-in-law?" Tony turned around and walked over to her "Your mother-in-law IS NOT, her family. Are they all complete idiots? They have to be to still think that Izzy is his. She looks exactly like me."  
Isabelle did look just like Tony. A spitting image. She even had his eye color. The baby also had very light brown skin.  
"You told me to give you a year Kerry." Tony went on "A year has come and gone. You promised me."  
Kerry could tell that Tony was really bothered by this situation. He told her every chance he got.  
"I had every intention on bringing her. I didn't know they were coming. What do you expect me to do?"  
"I expect you to let me see my daughter!" Tony expressed "I'm missing everything. Don't you realize that I can never get that time back? "  
Tony had only had one-on-one time a handful of times. He had missed her first real smile, crawling, her first Xmas, her first birthday, her first steps, bath times, play dates, beach days, Disneyland, afternoons swinging in the park, all types of special moments that he could never get back.  
"It's not fair Kerry. It's not fair to her and it's not fair to me. She's not going to know me. It's bad enough you gave her that last name." Tony continued "Her last name is Goldwyn."  
Kerry stood there listening to him. He was right. She couldn't believe she was in this situation. Reality was truly stranger than fiction. She couldn't believe that her and Tony's real life mimicked the lives of the characters they played. Kerry felt like she would die if this ever came out. She did the most to protect herself, her child, her husband, Tony, everybody involved. This was her and Tony's mistake. No one but family and very close friends had even seen the child. Anytime they stepped out in public, Kerry made sure the nanny had Isabelle thoroughly covered so the media couldn't release photos.  
"Tony." Kerry said a little exasperated.  
"She's mine Kerry." Tony said frustrated at first but softened up "She's, ours. We made her."  
Here we go, Kerry thought. Her and Tony had been back and fourth too many times to count. Words can not describe how hard it is to get over your feelings for someone when you work with them, doing intimate scenes with them, traveling alone together, making appearances with them, sitting so close to them you can feel them breathing, getting hints of their intoxicating scent. And right now, the look in Tony's eyes was definitely affecting her. Kerry was always fighting her overwhelming need to take care of Tony, or her overwhelming need to make Tony feel better. Tony was so sensitive and kind. She absolutely hated this and 100 percent blamed herself. Tony 100 percent blamed himself. He was a good looking older man who had been married for over 20 years and had resisted many years of very tempting temptations. He knew better. But Kerry was different.  
"Do you just want me to give up?" Tony asked her "Do you want my little girl to grow up without me?"  
Kerry sighed "Of course not."  
"Please tell me what to do." Tony stepped closer to her "What do I have to do to see my baby?"  
It broke Kerry's heart to see Tony begging like this. Especially for something he shouldn't have to beg for. Tony seriously looked like he was on the brink of tears. He was desperate. Kerry didn't know what to say. She reached out and pulled him into a hug. She placed her hand on the back of his neck, urging him to conform. Tony didn't hug back right away but he did feel broken. Like a piece of him was missing. That piece being his daughter. He finally reached his arms around Kerry and hugged her tightly. He needed to be comforted. Comforted by the only one who knew his pain. Tony had not told anyone about his dilemma so he had no choice but to let Kerry comfort him. As he and Kerry held each other, Tony realized that this problem would not be getting any better anytime soon. He knew his child would be talking soon and the last thing he wanted was for her to be calling another man Daddy. He thought about everybody's happiness. His wife's happiness, his 2 older girls happiness, Isabelle's happiness, Kerry's happiness. He thought about how everything would effect everyone in the end. Especially Isabelle. She's so young. Would she be happy with the facade Kerry had set up for her? Would she hate him when she gets old enough to figure it out? He gently pulled away from Kerry. Tony palmed her face and brought their foreheads together. Kerry put her hands over his. Tony was nervous but he felt like he needed to, that he had to do what was right for his daughter.  
"I love you Ker." He began "I care about you more than you could ever know but-"  
Kerry brought her head away from his.  
Tony continued "I care about Isabelle more."  
Kerry was a little confused. She pulled away from him completely.  
This was hard for Tony. He genuinely cared for Kerry and would never do anything to cause any harm or dismay in her life. He knew that Kerry wasn't intentionally keeping Isabelle from him and that Kerry thinks she's doing the right thing but Tony felt like he had to do something.  
"What are you saying?" Kerry asked him.  
"I'm saying I'm willing to do whatever I have to do to see my child. If she grows up without me and figures everything out, she'll hate me. My little girl is not going to ever think that I didn't want her. I love her too much to even give that a chance to happen."  
Kerry was perplexed and genuinely having a hard time comprehending "And what exactly is it that you're willing to do? Is this some type of ultimatum or warning? Are you threatening me?"  
"Yes. I mean, no." Tony was getting flustered, he backed away from her and headed to the door "I'm sorry Kerry but Im not going to do this for another year with you. Again, I'm willing to do what I HAVE to do, so I suggest you do what you NEED to do."  
And with that, Tony walked out.  
Kerry stood there dumbfounded. She wondered how serious he was. She couldn't believe that Tony had given his version of an ultimatum. What's it even mean? She didn't know how to feel because she couldn't blame Tony. She loved Isabelle too and would be acting the same way if she couldn't see her. Mostly she didn't know how to feel because this was slightly out of character for Tony. He's soooo laid back and timid. All the time. Kerry had a seat. She thought about how Tony suggested that she do what she needs to do. It was too late to do what she needed to do. She should have been responsible and not gotten pregnant by a man who was married with children. Was he suggesting she tell Nnamdi and the rest of her family? He couldn't be implying that he'd take her to court. A laugh escaped Kerry. She didn't think anything about this was funny, but she literally had to laugh to keep from crying.

Tony left the set all together without saying goodbye to anyone. He was driving. He had so much on his mind. He hoped and prayed that Kerry wouldn't call his bluff. He had no idea what he would do if she did. He had no idea how he'd go about it. Every angle or strategy was a lose/lose for him. He could involve the courts to see Isabelle, but he'd lose his wife, Kerry and possibly his older daughters. He could just drop it, keep his first family united, remain in Kerry's good graces but not be in Isabelle's life. In a perfect world, both his and Kerry's spouses could be understanding and he start seeing Isabelle regularly, having whole weekends with her and what not. That seemed to be Kerry's main concern. Appearances, the shame and guilt she would feel. There was another possibility. A possibility that he would daydream about from time to time. The possibility being that he and Kerry could get divorces and raise their child together. It had come up a couple times before, them being together, but Kerry got married which just solidified everything. It was never really brought up again. He took it hard when Kerry had his daughter but made the conscious decision to let another man raise her. Kerry had made it clear that they couldn't be together and them having a child wouldn't change anything. Even though Tony didn't believe her, he felt that it was just easier to go along and agree with her, rather than express that he felt like they could be together. He did not want her stressed more than she had to be while she was pregnant with his child. Kerry would never admit it to herself anyways. After aimlessly driving for awhile, Tony ended up at the beach. After parking and getting out, Tony walked over and had a seat on a rock and thought about how this all began...

Late 2011

Tony Goldwyn had been working consistently for years. In front and behind the camera. He came from a show biz family. He was the grandson of Samuel Goldwyn of MGM(MetroGoldwynMeyer). He loved directing and that's actually how he became comrades with Shonda Rhimes. He had directed some episodes of her show Greys Anatomy. When Shonda approached Tony about a new show she was doing, he gladly accepted. Shonda didn't even have him audition. When Tony asked Shonda who she had in mind for the female lead, he was pleasantly surprised to hear that it was probably going to be Kerry Washington. Ironically, Kerry and Tony had met several times before from all the advocacy work they and others had done in DC. Shonda set up a screen test for the two actors just to make sure that they would be right for each other. Tony sent Kerry an email when he found out about the screen test. In the days leading up to that screen test, Kerry and Tony had been conversing back and forth through emails. Just catching up and what not, seeing what the other was up to. Shonda had sent them both emails to look over in regards to the scene they'd be doing the reading to. Eventually, the day of the screen test came. Tony showed up to Stage 16 in Hollywood sort of early. There were some people he wanted to say hi to. Kerry had just arrived as well. She felt pretty confident about this whole thing for the most part but was a little frustrated about auditioning over and over. She had auditioned several times so far. When she rounded a corner, she spotted Tony right away. Tony saw her too. He said goodbye to whomever he was chatting with and headed towards Kerry. They met in the middle. The two of them walked into a friendly embrace.  
"Kerry." Tony said right before kissing her cheek.  
"Hey Tony."  
They pulled away from one another afterwards.  
"It's so good to see you." Tony beamed.  
"Same here." Kerry smiled.  
Tony and Kerry had always had a good rapport with one another. There was always plenty of smiles and small talk. The two headed towards Shonda's office.  
Tony casually strolled with his hands in his pockets "I hear Shonda is really testing you."  
"Yes she is." Kerry confirmed "Every, and I mean every black actress in Hollywood has auditioned for this role. From what I've gathered, it's between me and Gabrielle Union."  
"Interesting. Are they giving you any feedback? What's the deciding factor?"  
"Not really." Kerry leisurely walked next to Tony "Shonda let me know that she felt that I may be too pretty. Whatever that's supposed to mean."  
"Too pretty huh?" Tony said "Well If the lead can't be too pretty, sorry kid. This part isn't for you."  
"Thanks. I think." Kerry told him.  
"I'm just teasing you. You know what I mean." Tony nudged her arm "Unfortunately, sometimes beautiful women aren't taken seriously."  
They were approaching Shonda's door. They stopped once they reached it and turned to face each other.  
"If you can, use your looks as a prop." Tony began "Some actresses rely 100 percent on the fact that they are beautiful. That if the audience isn't convinced it's ok because they have something pretty to look at."  
Kerry looked up at him, ready to absorb what he would say next.  
"Make sure you convey that yes, you're pretty, but that it will always be an afterthought." Tony explained "Let the beauty speak for itself only after you've blown them away with your performance."  
Kerry stood there pondering. What Tony had just told her was brilliant. It was exactly what she needed to hear. Tony the director knew what he was talking about.  
Tony stood watching her thinking about it "I know you're going to nail it."  
Their eyes met. Kerry was genuinely thankful for his input. She couldn't figure out why this audition process had been so lengthy. What Tony suggested made sense.  
Shonda was not in her office and happen to be walking down the hallway towards her office with some colleagues. She spotted Tony and Kerry. She slowed her walk down a bit to take them in, seeing how they looked together. Right away she noticed how Kerry looked even smaller standing by Tony. When she got closer, Tony saw her out of the corner of his eye. He, followed by Kerry, turned to greet her.  
"Hi guys." Shonda smiled.  
She hugged and kissed Tony then Kerry. Tony and Kerry nodded and said hello to Shonda's people.  
"I completely forgot that you two knew each other." Shonda said "You haven't been waiting long have you?"  
"No. Not at all." Kerry let her know.  
"Good. Let's go in."  
Tony opened the door, allowing the women to walk in first.  
Her office was of course huge. Once inside, Shonda gave the actors copies of the lines then went on to explain how it was crunch time. She had to finalize this cast. She mainly spoke to Kerry seeing as how Olivia Pope and her dealings would be the main focus of the show. Shonda would occasionally address her team. When she did, Tony took the moment to whisper something to Kerry.  
"Hey." Tony got Kerry's attention "You see this part here?"  
Tony pointed to the line he was referring to "I want you to slap me."  
"For real?" Kerry asked "Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."  
"These dainty little hands." Tony reached over and grabbed Kerry's hand "I probably won't even feel it."  
Kerry chuckled and got her hand back "Whatever pretty boy."  
"Pretty boy?"  
While someone was talking to Shonda, she heard the playful banter going on in the background. She glanced over to get a better look. She couldn't believe how awesome they looked together. This seriously was what she had been picturing. The chemistry was undeniable. At this point, this screen test wasn't necessary. She had found Olivia Pope and President Grant.  
Tony and Kerry were completely oblivious to Shonda's discovery.  
"Yes." Kerry responded "Pretty boy. You didn't even have to audition."  
For the benefit of her team, Shonda was going to have them do the screen test anyway.  
She got their attention "O.k. Everyone. We're going to go ahead and get started."  
Tony and Kerry stood to get into position. Before they started, Tony gave Kerry a wink. A wink that did not go unnoticed by Shonda. She smiled inwardly.  
Tony and Kerry began. Shonda would look back and forth from them to camera. The lines flowed effortlessly from both of them. It was like they were made for this. Tony was holding Kerry as she looked down to the side whimpering.  
"Did you give her that dog?" Kerry said barely above a whisper.  
Tony continued trying to calm her "Livie."  
"Did you give her that dog?" Kerry repeated.  
"I, love, you."  
Kerry pushed Tony away from her and slapped Tony across the face. Shonda and her team jaws dropped. That was not in the scene that she gave them.  
"I believed you. You clouded my judgement." Kerry tearfully began "You made me mistrust my gut because I wanted to believe you. I destroyed that girl!"  
Kerry backed away "She tried to kill herself-"  
Kerry was interrupted by Tony grabbing and slamming his lips to hers.  
Shonda was absolutely mesmerized. She knew that she had just struck gold. Every woman in America was going to eat this up. They all would want to be Olivia pope. The scene ended there but Shonda wasn't the only one feeling something. Kerry didn't even realize her eyes were closed. Tony pulled away, unconsciously stroking her soft cheek in the process. Kerry opened her eyes. After a brief linger, they both turned to Shonda. They all knew that this was the beginning. And it began with a kiss...

I **have no idea whatsoever how casting works, how fast things happen, how quickly they start shooting, ect. There's obviously going to have to be a lot of flashbacks. Let me know if you like this so far. Please review. :)**


End file.
